Answering a phrase

Listen before you play

Every phrase in this lesson fits in position 1 of the A minor pentatonic, between the 5^th and 8^th frets. Keep it in front of you: it’s your playground.

Here’s the method for each phrase:

1. Listen to it three times, without the guitar. Sing it, even out of tune: if you can hum it, you can find it.
2. Find the first note. Try the notes of the position one by one until you hear the right one.
3. Does it go up or down? Is the next note higher or lower? Close or far?
4. Check by replaying the example, then play it yourself three times in a row.

Don’t look at the tab right away: it’s there to check, once you’ve found it.

Phrase 1: three notes

It starts on the G string and ends on an A.

e|-------|
B|-------|
G|-5-7---|
D|-----7-|
A|-------|
E|-------|

Phrase 2: four notes going down

It starts on the B string.

e|---------|
B|-8-5-----|
G|-----7-5-|
D|---------|
A|---------|
E|---------|

Phrase 3: five notes

It starts on the high E and goes down to the A on the D string.

e|-5---------|
B|---8-5-----|
G|-------7---|
D|---------7-|
A|-----------|
E|-----------|

Change the rhythm

A phrase isn’t just a string of notes: it’s also a rhythm. Take phrase 2 and play it three ways:

• in long notes, one note per beat;
• in short notes, two notes per beat, then a rest;
• starting after the 1, on the “and”: the phrase comes alive.

The same notes tell a different story. That’s already improvising.

The two-player game

If someone near you plays guitar: they play a three-note phrase in the position, you play it back; then swap. On your own, you can do the same with the licks from a song you love, starting with the simplest phrases.

You’ve got it when…

• You play all three phrases back by ear before looking at the tab
• You play phrase 2 with three different rhythms
• You find the first note of a phrase in fewer than three tries